ARTICLE 3

The Wedding Dance in the Age of Technology
By Jeff Sherman of Bet U Can Dance Studio, www.betucandance.com

The Wedding Ceremony has ended and the party has begun. All of the years of preparing for your special day have come together and everything has gone off without a hitch. Now it is time for the bridal party to be introduced in the ballroom and then the happily married couple is introduced for the first time as Husband and Wife. The lights are now dimmed in the Ballroom and silence takes over as the MC has asked everyone to be quiet as we watch the newly married couple in their first dance as Husband and Wife.

Hopefully you are prepared for this moment and you are not trying to wing it. Too often this is a mistake made by many couples at their weddings. They think that they can just get out on the dance floor to one of their favorite songs and it will all look great and work out for them. In many cases this becomes one of the most boring parts of the event when in actuality it should be one of the Highlights. Now it has become even more critical as we live in the Wireless Ultra High-speed Internet Age. Many of the couples that are getting married today have grown up with the Internet, YouTube and now the iPhone. When you combine all of this technology with a Wedding Dance that you are just winging it is a recipe for disaster.

Chances are during your Wedding Dance one of your friends will be filming this special moment with their iPhone and then post it on YouTube before your Wedding is over. This could be a disaster for you if there are any major mishaps during your Wedding Dance Routine. You want to be as prepared as possible when you go out on to the dance floor with everyone’s eyes on you. The bottom line here is you do not want to make up a dance on the fly. This will not work and will just be boring. If you go out on the dance floor with a few steps, once again it will just get you by but will still put everyone to sleep.

How do you avoid what could become one of your first marital disasters. Use technology to figure out what you want to do in your routine. Here are the secrets to a successful plan for pulling off a top notch YouTube Ready Wedding Dance.

1. Plan ahead. The Wedding Dance cannot just be put together overnight. If neither one of you dance you should find a dance instructor 6 months before your Wedding Date. Go meet with them and put a plan together based on your timeline, ability, desire and finances. No two couples are the same. You should however note this does not mean you will be learning for 6 months.
2. The Bride. The man must realize that this dance is all about presenting your beautiful wife for the first time. Gentlemen please do not try to out dance her, it is all about her.
3. The Groom. Ladies, it is our job to make you look more beautiful on one of your most beautiful days. The only way we can do this is for you to let us lead you so you must give up control. After the dance you can take over again.
4. The Song. I really feel that everyone’s Wedding Song needs to mean something to them. So you should review with your dance instructor a list of potential songs. Try to pick the most danceable song that you can. If you are having trouble finding songs use the internet to find them or ask your instructor for help.
5. The Dance. Work out a routine that you feel comfortable with. Just know everything takes time and money. If you want to commit to doing the “I’ve Had the Time of My Life Routine” from Dirty Dancin!! Be prepared to spend a lot of time at the studio learning the routine and realize something like that will cost a lot of money.
6. Go to the Video. Try to work with an instructor that will video your routine so you get an idea of what it looks like before you are done. Use technology to preview what you are doing.
7. Have Fun. Just like any other dance you need to look comfortable and at ease on the dance floor A
during your routine. Make sure to have fun out there
.
I know as a kid you may have watched America’s Funniest Home Videos. Well this show always had a Wedding Segment of very embarrassing moments. Today this is on YouTube and the ones that are really bad end up on the news as they get the most hits on YouTube. I am sure you want to be remembered for how great you guys looked out on the dance floor rather than how funny it was when your Wedding Dance went all wrong.

Just remember to Plan Ahead and have a Great Time. Good luck with your Wedding and I hope this information was helpful.